How Does Tennessee Williams Use Symbols In A Streetcar Named Desire

This essay deals with a play A Streetcar Named Desire. There is a lot of interesting aspects to be concerned with. This paper tries to focus on characters, themes and symbols and meaning of the terms “Desire” and “Death”.

A Streetcar Named Desire is a play from 1947 which was written by American playwright Tennessee Williams (1911 – 1983). He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948. This play was presented on Broadway on December 3, 1947 and ended on December 17, 1949 in the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. In 1951, a film of the same name was filmed. The film A Streetcar Named Desire was directed by Elia Kazan. By the same director who directed the play in Broadway.

Tennessee Williams´ plays are based on his own experiences, especially from his youth. He came from the South, where in the period after World War I paid very puritanical rules. The heroes of his plays often flee to the world of illusion. Once, Tennessee Williams said about A Streetcar

The music is not only creator of the play´s atmosphere but it is a symbol of Blanche´s emotional mood too. The whole story is tinged by black music which symbolizes the Blanche´s origin. She comes from the American South. The piano music playing somewhere background symbolizes the culture of New Orleans. Blanche often hears the Polka music connected with her young husband´s death. Under these circumstances, we can say that the music as a symbol helps the audience to understand the emotions. It takes the audience to the deepest and most secret world of the character.

The second symbol is a telephone, modern technique. Until this time, it was the unknown technology for Blanche. It symbolizes a salvation. Many times she tries to use the telephone to contact Western Union or her boyfriend Mitch. Her attempts do not work and she has to always wait. Thus, it is a salvation but not for Blanche. In Kolin´s